"The book of Hosea compares the relationship between God and His people to a real-life marriage of Hosea and his wife, drawing a parallel between spiritual and marital unfaithfulness. Like a marriage partner, God is deeply involved in our lives and is pained when we go our own way. Often God's people have failed to demonstrate wholehearted love and faithfulness to Him, but nothing can quench God's love for them. He stands ready to forgive and restore those who turn to Him in repentance. In buying Gomer's freedom, Hosea pointed ahead to God's love perfectly expressed in Christ, who bought the freedom of His bride, the Church, with His own life."
(He Reads Truth CSB Bible)
The book of Hosea is both frustrating but so so sweet. The Lord asked Hosea to marry a prostitute as example and in relation to the people of Israel choosing to live a life that wasn't what the Lord had called them to. Hosea as a man choosing to take and love a women who has only known prostitution and having children with her. The Lord comparing Himself to the husband of a prostitute. A key verse from this book is Hosea 6:6 with the Lord declaring " I desire faithful love."
The Lord's First Lament
Chapter 6 v. 4-6
4 What am I going to do with you, Ephraim?
What am I going to do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist
and like the early dew that vanishes.
5 This is why I have used the prophets
to cut them down; I have killed them with the words of my mouth.
My judgement strikes like lightning.
6 For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings
I thought the first few verses were important to read and connect with especially the end of verse 4 " your love is like the morning mist and like the early dew that vanishes."
I feel like this part of the verse is a good place of reflection or just a quick check for us. We surely wouldn't a love toward us or a love that we would choose to show to fade quickly nor do we want it to be conditional. So it is with the Lord, He's speaking to these people who have chosen to go a different way in fact he describes them to be like Adam violating the covenant. He desires to have relationship with His people and yet they continue to disobey and go their own way. Through Hosea and Gomer's story there is redemptive love. It's just so beautiful the Love of the Lord that pursues us even if we say we love Him only on a Sunday or when He blesses us. Relationship with Him and His love is an everyday kind of love. All day every day we get to choose Him because He chose us.
Prayer
Father, we thank you for Hosea and Gomers story and revealing your redemptive love to us. We want our hearts to be fully yours and apologize when this love looks like the morning dew and early mist that vanishes. Thank you for Scripture that reminds us of your goodness toward us. Find us faithful in Jesus' Holy and precious name Amen.
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